Essex suffered a second successive Royal London One-Day Cup defeat at the Oval, but injuries to Jason Roy, Ollie Pope and Rikki Clarke took some of the gloss off Surrey's 65-run victory.

Jason Roy of Surrey receives treatment after being struck by a Peter Siddle delivery during Surrey vs Essex Eagles, Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket at the Kia Oval on 23rd April 2019

Two wickets in two balls by England one-day seamer Liam Plunkett, in a return to form with the ball, settled a hard-fought contest in Surrey's favour.

Bowling the 41st over, Plunkett sent back Simon Harmer and Ryan ten Doeschate for 28 and 26 respectively after the seventh-wicket pair had added 46 in eight overs to leave Essex needing a seemingly gettable 77 from the last ten overs.

Morne Morkel had earlier taken 4-23, including a superb new-ball spell of 5-1-12-2, and Plunkett finished off the innings by having last man Matt Quinn caught behind for four to end with figures of 4-50.

Veteran off spinner Gareth Batty took the ninth wicket, that of Peter Siddle, as Surrey ran out comfortable winners by dismissing Essex for 213.

Essex wicket keeper Robbie White completes the run out of Surrey batsman Mark Stoneman during Surrey vs Essex Eagles, Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket at the Kia Oval on 23rd April 2019

Roy suffered a back spasm early in the match, forcing him to leave the field and return only at the fall of Surrey's seventh wicket, while Pope hurt his shoulder in a boundary-edge dive and was led off after the 28th over of Essex's reply.

Pope had earlier flung himself to his right at point to claw down a full-blooded square cut by Alastair Cook off Morkel, which ended the former England captain's innings on nine, and an equally spectacular catch was taken by Plunkett, leaping to his left to grab the ball one-handed at mid off, also off Morkel, to send back Tom Westley for eight.

Clarke damaged a finger in attempting to scoop up what would have been another excellent catch, low down at slip when Dan Lawrence, yet to score, edged Morkel in the same over.

Lawrence went on to score 50 from 59 balls and, after seeing Paul Walter sky a catch to Batty at third man off Plunkett to go for 25, added 90 in 15 overs with Ravi Bopara to take Essex to 142-3.

Rory Burns of Surrey is bowled out by Daniel Lawrence during Surrey vs Essex Eagles, Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket at the Kia Oval on 23rd April 2019

Bopara, though, was then bowled for an assured 50-ball 47 as he tried to cut Will Jacks' off breaks and, next ball, it was 142-5 when Morkel dug in a short ball at Lawrence who with one hand off the bat slashed him high to third man where Freddie van den Bergh – by then one of three Surrey substitute fielders – held a good catch.

It was a poor shot, and when Morkel had Robbie White caught at slip for five the Essex challenge had looked over. Ten Doeschate and Harmer revived their hopes, only for Plunkett to snuff them out again.

Surrey's 278-8 was based on a fine 88-ball 82 by Ben Foakes, a workmanlike 55 from Rory Burns and a curiously muted 39 off 53 balls, with just one four, by Pope.

Opener Roy finished on 35 not out, from 23 balls, but Surrey were left frustrated that he had been incapacitated so early in the game.

Ben Foakes of Surrey is stumped by Robbie White from the bowling of Daniel Lawrence during Surrey vs Essex Eagles, Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket at the Kia Oval on 23rd April 2019

For Essex, seamer Sam Cook was the pick of the bowlers with 3-37 from eight overs, with Lawrence taking 2-52 from 10 overs delivered mainly at the back-end of Surrey's innings and off-spinner Harmer also bowling cannily to concede just 38 runs from his nine overs.

Burns and Foakes put on 78 for the third wicket after Jacks had been caught at deep mid off for 11 and Mark Stoneman run out for 23 when, called for a sharp single by Burns, he hesitated fatally before setting off and failed to beat Bopara's throw to the keeper.

There were four fours in Burns's busy 53-ball half-century before he was bowled by Lawrence's off spin, aiming a cut, while Foakes produced some of the strokes of the day – an extra cover drive for four and straight hit for six off seamer Quinn, plus a rasping pull for four off Australian fast bowler Siddle.

Foakes and Pope added 81 in 14 overs, but then Pope sliced to deep cover off Quinn and three more wickets tumbled in quick succession as Clarke fell for three, Plunkett was yorked for five and Conor McKerr edged behind on two. Foakes fell in the 47th over, stumped advancing at Lawrence.

Ravi Bopara in batting action for Essex as Ben Foakes looks on from behind the stumps during Surrey vs Essex Eagles, Royal London One-Day Cup Cricket at the Kia Oval on 23rd April 2019

Roy suffered his injury at the start of the fourth over when he inside-edged a ball from Siddle into his inner thigh, took a single but looked in some discomfort.

He played on for a while but then needed lengthy on-field treatment from Surrey's physio before trying to continue batting. On 16, though, having faced 12 balls and hit three fours, he was forced to retire hurt and only returned in the 46th over when McKerr was caught at the wicket for two off Cook.

By then Foakes, Burns and Pope had put together the bulk of Surrey's eventual total, although Roy's short end-of-innings return to the crease did bring him a crashing extra cover driven four in the final over, bowled by Quinn, plus a pulled six from the next ball – a full-toss – which clearly caused him further pain.